Display stand



Jan, 28, i958 s. J. BURROWS 2,821,398

` DISPLAY STAND Filed April a, V1954 2 sheets-sheet `1 Eli' 16 746 l 1,2

Jah 28, 1953 v s. J. BURRoWs 2,821,308

DISPLAY STAND Filed April B, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United l States Patent DISPLAY STAND Sol J. Burrows, Chicago, lll., assignor to Neo Products Co., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Iliinois Application April 8, 1954, Serial No. 421,829

1 Claim. (Cl. 211-65) This invention relates to a display stand of novel construction.

More particularly, the present invention relates to a display stand adapted to be placed on a horizontal support, such as a table or counter, and adapted to receive and support a large number of elongated articles of relatively small diameter or cross section in vertical position and in a vertically staggered or stepped arrangement.

As an example, the display stand of the present invention is particularly adapted for displaying for sale tooth brushes encased in conventional plastic or glass tubes in an attractive, visible and selectively accessible manner.

The display stand of the present invention is further characterized by its novel arrangement and construction of its pocket-forming dividers whereby a single stand or cabinet may be formed to snugly receive articles, such as encased tooth brushes of different size and diameter 1n aligned rows.

The device of the present invention is further characterized by its economies and details of vconstruction and arrangement of parts, as will be apparent from a consideration of the following specification and accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a front elevational view of a display stand constructed and arranged in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. l, with a divider shown in full.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the dividers employed in the assembly of the preceding figures.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view of two endwise joined dividers.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5'.

Referring to the drawings, the display stand specifically shown for the purpose of illustration, comprises the front wall 10, a rear tie member 11, a rear wall component 12 extending above the front wall, and a pair of side walls 13 and 14 extending between the front and rear members, the upper edges of the side walls being inclined therebetween. As indicated in part by the rear of the display stand, it will be understood that the deiining walls or surfaces need not be of full section but may be in the nature of a framework, and the full or sectional walls may be further exteriorly decorated with flanges and panels of desired contour and outline. It will also be understood that, although not illustrated, the display stand may comprise a plurality of similar sections of the same or different dimensions and which may be joined together by common side walls.

The inner faces of the front wall component and the rear wall component 12 are formed with a plurality of generally vertically extending slot pairs 15 and 16, respectively, aligned with and parallel to each other, for the purpose to be hereinafter more fully set forth. These slots extend to the upper edges in the sections wherein 2,821,308 Patented' Jan. 28, 1958 they are formed for reception of the ends of dividers 17 and 18, and for limiting the downward movement of the seated dividers, abutments 19 on the rear wall section 12 and. 20 on the front wall section 10, are provided extending between the side walls. It will, however, be understood that although not illustrated, other limiting means may be provided, such as transverse supports extending between the side walls spaced from the rear and front components, or by limiting the depths of slots 15 and 16. j The dividers 17 and 18 are in the form of separable units, and are suitably formed of molded plastic material which may be substantially transparent. Each of these dividers are in the form of elongated strips having parallel longitudinal edges and parallel ends inclined thereto, that is, in the form of parallelograms of unequal diagonals. These dividers are each formed with at least one continuous lateral projection or ange 21 projecting normal to the side surface of the divider strip and along one longitudinal edge to provide a short base or lower abutment, and a plurality of spaced lateral projections 22 extending from and normal to its said surface and parallel to the inclined ends, forming short side Walls or transverse divider sections. When these dividers are inserted into an opposed pair of slots 15 and 16 with the flange 21 downward, the lateral projections thereof form a row or plurality of vertically staggered, upwardly open pockets with an adjacent divider, within which may be inserted, for example, the encased tooth brushes, dotted in at 23.

The dividers i7, as illustrated, are provided with projections 21 and 22 extending from only one face to provide the right and left side units, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or as an intermediate divider as illustrated at 24 to provide either relatively narrow pockets or for the purpose of providing added width between adjacent dividers to accommodate articles which may, for example, have head portions of greater dimension, diameter or width than a shank portion which it is desired to snugly position in a pocket, as shown dotted at 2S.

The dividers 18, as illustrated, are provided with projections 21 and 22 extending from both faces and are employed essentially as intermediate dividers, but may also be used as side pieces in place of the dividers 17. As will be further noted, the bottom section 21 terminates at the last section 22 adjacent the ends of the strip 18, leaving end portions or ribs projecting outwardly of and parallel to the divider freely insertable in the slots 15 and 16.

For receiving articles of uniform dimension, such as tooth brushes of a single size or style, the dividers may be spaced an equal distance from each other by regularly spacing the respective slots 15 and 16. On the other hand, when it is desired to accommodate articles in rows of different Widths, it is only necessary to provide suitable spacing of the slots or, although not shown, an increased number of preformed slots relatively close together may be provided, and desired ones then selected for use. The respective dividers are preferably spaced to snugly receive an elongated article, and in such case the short bottom and side walls 21 and 22 are adequate to retain the article in vertical position even though spaced from an adjacent divider.

For the purpose of economy the dividers may all be formed of one uniform length, and when greater lengths are required, such as double length, two dividers may be spliced and adhesively secured together at their end portions. For this purpose and to obtain uniform alignment I provide the ends of the dividers with inverse rabbets 2S and 26 on opposite sides of the alignment notch 27.

It will therefore be apparent that although I have described the preferred embodiment of my invention and certain modification thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various other modications may be made in the details thereof without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

ln a display stand adapted to be placed on a horizontal support and to receive and support a large number of elongated articles of relatively small cross-section in vertical position and in a vertically staggered arrangement, a plurality of separable dividers each comprised of an elongated strip having parallel longitudinal edges and a pair of parallel ends inclined to said longitudinal edges, continuous lateral integral projections extending from the opposed side surfaces of said strip and normal thereto on one of its longitudinal edges, a plurality of integral regularly spaced projections extending in pairs from and normal to the opposed side surfaces of and parallel to said inclined ends and continuously between the longitudinal edges of the strip, said lateral projecting portions forming a plurality of stepped pockets between adjacent dividers, an integral rib projecting outwardly of and parallel to the body of the divider, and a base for supporting said dividers in inclined position with their inclined ends disposed vertically, said base being formed with slotted surface portions receiving and seating said ribs.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 161,815 Beeman Feb. 6, 1951 570,338 Reed Oct. 27, 1896 786,176 Adams Mar. 28, 1905 1,411,890 Poorman Apr. 4, 1922 1,705,815 Hothersall et al Mar. 19, 1929 1,820,275 Kelley Aug. 25, 1931 1,924,371 Owitz Aug. 29, 1933 2,127,826 Meyer Aug. 23, 1938 

